In a brief statement from the White House lawn Sunday, Defense Secretary James Mattis announced that the United States is "not looking for the total annihilation of North Korea."

However, the U.S. has "many military options" to do so, Mattis qualified.

The declaration came less than 24 hours after North Korea claimed a "perfect success" for its most powerful nuclear test so far, a further step in the development of weapons capable of striking anywhere in the United States.